3 Accelerated Nursing Programs In South Dakota

Do you know that there are accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota? The blog post below highlights the basic information you’d need to know about these accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota.

There are just three schools that offer accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota. However, these programs have their admission requirements, tuition and fees, and prerequisites. We gathered this key information about each program to help you learn more about the programs.

But, it will interest you to know that South Dakota is one of the U.S. states that is situated in the North Central region of the United States. It is also seen to be a part of the Great Plains. South Dakota got its name from the Lakota and Dakota Sioux Native American tribes, who make up a large number of the population with not less than nine reservations in the state.

These nine reservations in the state were believed to dominate the territory historically. South Dakota is the seventeenth largest country by landmass, but the fifth least densely populated of the 50 states in the United States.

South Dakota was known to originate from the southern part of the former Dakota Territory. Thus, South Dakota was created as a state on 2nd November 1889, alongside North Dakota. South and North Dakota are the 39th and 40th states respectively that were admitted to the union.

Before signing the statehood papers, President Benjamin Harrison shuffled them so that no one could tell which became a state first. Nonetheless, Pierre is currently the state capital, and Sioux Falls, whose population is about 187,200, is South Dakota’s largest city.

A list of few medical courses that are offered in South Dakota universities are

  • Public Health
  • Medical Laboratory Science
  • Allied and Population Health
  • Medicine/ Pre-Medicine
  • Psychology
  • Human Performance and Fitness
  • Nursing/ Pre-Professional Nursing

The list above showed that South Dakota offers Nursing programs. However, to their nursing programs, they included accelerated nursing programs too. But, what are these accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota? Who are they for? How do students get started on such programs? What are the admission requirements that are needed to run these accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota?

The article is here to tell you, and list the schools where they are run. Firstly, we should know that the Accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota are organized and implemented to allow students to earn their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) or Master of Science in Nursing (MSN) faster than traditional on-campus college programs.

That is to say, many of these programs are introduced to people who have undergraduate degrees in other disciplines but wish to transit to a nursing career. And, these accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota can be held on campus and can be taught as online courses too.

These accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota group classes together in quarters or sections. They run non-stop, while their traditional counterparts present longer breaks between semesters. Like Nursing Programs, students who are enrolled in online accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota complete their clinical rotations in medical facilities that are situated close to them.

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3 Accelerated Nursing programs In South Dakota

As I stated earlier, there are but 3 accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota. They include:

  • Augustana university
  • South Dakota State University
  • University of Sioux Falls

1. Accelerated Track Nursing Program, Augustana University

Augustana University is one of the educational institutions that offer accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota. The accelerated programs include two fall semesters, a J-Term, a spring semester, and a summer session and are usually completed in 16 months.

Many students across the globe choose Augustana University as an institution to have their accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota. This is because the University is marked out for its excellence in preparing its students (both residents and international students) to give the best care possible to their future patients.

Yes, the accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota take 16 months to be completed at Augustana University before the students can begin their careers. And, this university is also marked for its excellence, as the education prepares the students to give the best care possible to their future patients.

The accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota, precisely Augustana University is easily affordable and is ranked in the top 3 accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota and beyond.

To get started on this journey, it is very important to know that there are prerequisite courses for the accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota, precisely Augustana University, and they must be completed before the upper-division clinical courses start in Fall 1. 

One may ask, what are these courses? What are the prerequisites? These prerequisite courses and their credits include

  • BIOL 150 Human Anatomy – 4 credits,
  • BIOL 225 Human Anatomy – 4 credits,
  • BIOL 250 Introductory Microbiology – 4 credits,
  • CHEM 116 introductions to chemistry – 4 credits,
  • CHEM 145 Survey of Organic and Biochemistry – 4 credits,
  • HLTH 289 Medical Terminology – 1 credit,
  • HLTH 222 Nutrition – 3 credits,
  • SOC 110 Contemporary Society – 3 credits,
  • MATH 140 Quantitative Reasoning – 3 credits,
  • PSYC 210 Life-Span Human Development – 3 credits, and
  • NURS 228 Pathophysiology – 3 credits.

It should also be noted that if the prerequisite courses are taken in another institution, the student should submit a transcript during application.

At Augustana University, the total required credits that are to be completed for the accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota are 47 nursing credits;

  • 15 credits in Fall 1,
  • 3 credits in interim,
  • 11 credits during spring,
  • 6 credits in summer, and
  • 12 credits in Fall 2.

The tuition rate for the set that is entering upper-division courses which begins Fall 2022 as at 2022-2023 in Augustana University (an institution that offers accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota) is $549 per credit hour. The nursing fees are $695 per term (for the four terms). More so, Augustana’s student fee is $45 per credit hour.

For an individual to be considered a part of an institution, he or she must have completed his or her admission process by applying at the said time and submitting the necessary documents, after which the institution accepts the person as Its student. This happens if the applicant’s application is congruent to the institution’s admission requirements.

The admission requirements for applicants who wish to attend Augustana University are as follows

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution (the previous school attended),
  • A final cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above,
  • A GPA of 2.70 or higher in all prerequisite courses with a grade of C in all these courses.

In addition to all these requirements, the student applying is allowed to repeat a maximum of two required prerequisite courses at a time. There are many other pieces of information that you might need asides from the admission requirements, and tuition and fees.

Visit the school’s website for more info

2. Accelerated B.S.N. Program, South Dakota State University

South Dakota State University is one of the institutions that offer accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota, for students who have completed a bachelor’s degree in any field and wish to obtain a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.).

The SDSU accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota are offered in three different cities; Aberdeen, Rapid City, and Sioux Falls, and are completed in 12 months. Many students choose South Dakota State University as an institution to have their accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota because it offers them the opportunity to get a degree as well as a clinical and academic experience or training in Nursing.

The accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota often take 12 months to be completed at South Dakota State University before the students can begin their careers. They only start once a year. This university prepares its students to learn and practice in the hospital and non-hospital settings.

The curriculum of the accelerated nursing programs is very vast and incorporates almost all parts of the sciences. It consists of the university major requirements which cut across social, physical, and biological sciences. The South Dakota State University accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota, are easily affordable and are ranked in the top 3 accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota and beyond.

To know that the admission application deadline dates for students are on June 1, January 25, and June 1 for Rapid City, Sioux Falls, and Aberdeen Accelerated Options respectively is very important for applying students who would want to have their Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N) degree after.

Meanwhile, for a student to be considered eligible for the school’s admission to the Accelerated Option, the applying student must have met the following admission requirements;

  • A cumulative GPA of 2.8 or higher,
  • A pre-nursing course GPA of 3.0 or higher,
  • A grade of “C” or higher in all completed courses needed for graduation, and
  • A grade of “C” in all non-nursing courses that are needed for the bachelor’s degree.

The requirements for the SDSU accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota courses are grouped into four. They are

  • System General Education requirements,
  • Pre-Nursing requirements,
  • Major requirements, and
  • Electives. All these courses have their credits. And, they are taken as required to finish any additional degree requirements.

Besides, this institution checks for language proficiency amongst their students while they study. Any student that earned a “D” or “F” in two or more of the pre-nursing lab science courses will not be admitted to the professional program.

It should also be noted that if the prerequisite courses are taken in another institution, the student should submit a transcript during application.

In South Dakota State University, the total required credits that are to be completed for the accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota are 120 nursing credits;

  • 32 credit hours in system general education requirements,
  • 16 credit hours in pre-nursing,
  • 62 credit hours for major requirements, and
  • 10 credit hours for electives.

The tuition and fees as of 2022-2023 in South Dakota State University (an institution that offers accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota) is

  • $413 per credit hour and an estimate of $25,220 for curriculum cost (for South Dakota residents), and
  • $530 per credit hour and an estimate of $32,357 for curriculum cost (for non-residents).

The nursing fees are $695 per term (for the four terms). And, South Dakota State University’s student fee is $45 per credit hour.

The standard admission requirements for applicants who wish to apply to South Dakota State University are a bachelor’s degree from an accredited institution, a final cumulative GPA of 3.0 or above, a GPA of 2.70 or higher in all prerequisite courses with a grade of C in all these courses.

In addition to all these requirements, the student applying is allowed to repeat a maximum of two required prerequisite courses at a time.

Visit the school’s website for more info.

3. Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N.), University of Sioux Falls

The University of Sioux Falls is one of the institutions that offer accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota. This is for students who are taking an intensive Bachelor of Science in Nursing (B.S.N) degree program, with their nursing courses offered in a compressed time frame and format.

The University of Sioux Falls accepts accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota once a year, as a new group of nursing students starts classes every January. In four semesters (spring, summer, fall, and spring) of accelerated nursing classes, the student can change their career and become a registered nurse with a B.S.N degree.

Before starting the USF Accelerated Nursing Programs in South Dakota, the applying students need to show proof of successful completion of the college-level prerequisites (earning a C or higher).

The students at USF are motivated to apply to the programs even if all the prerequisite courses have not been completed. The prerequisite courses include

  • General Chemistry I with a lab,
  • General Chemistry II with a lab or Biochemistry with a lab,
  • General Psychology,
  • Microbiology with a lab,
  • Anatomy with a lab,
  • Physiology with a lab,
  • Nutrition and,
  • Developmental Psychology, or Family Development Course.

It should be known that any student that takes six or more credits may be eligible for financial aid while working on their prerequisite courses. The USF accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota have criteria by the start of the programs for students that want to apply to this institution.

The requirements are as follows

  • A bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university in any field of study,
  • A minimum of 2.75 cumulative GPA from all previous college courses,
  • Three professional references,
  • A comprehensive background check, and
  • Proof of English proficiency.

In addition to the admission requirements into USF accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota, any student that wishes to be eligible for early acceptance into the USF accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota must have met the following requirements:

  • A cumulative of 3.5, and
  • A complete minimum of three sciences prerequisite courses. The prerequisite courses include CHE 122, BIO 302, BIO 315, BIO 314, and CHE 121. The tuition rate as of 2022-2023 in the University of Sioux Falls (an institution that offers accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota) is $400 per credit hour and an estimate of 57-60 credits for USF accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota January 2022 cohort, and $425 per credit hour and an estimate of 57-60 for USF accelerated nursing programs in South Dakota January 2023 cohort.

Visit the school’s website for more info.

The programs mentioned above can give you a leap on your journey to becoming an experienced nurse if you are aspiring to become one someday. Meanwhile, neglecting their admission requirements is a broad way to non-acceptance.

So, with the few admission criteria listed and the ones you will find out by checking their websites, you have taken a bold step to fulfill your dream of becoming a nurse. Good luck with that!

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